Final answer:
The skin surrounding the nail is known as the cuticle or eponychium, which helps to protect the nail edges from infection. The cuticle consists of dead epithelial cells and is part of nail anatomy that includes also the nail body and nail fold. The correct option is 1) Cuticle
Step-by-step explanation:
The skin that touches, overlaps, and surrounds the nail is known as the cuticle or the eponychium. The cuticle is a layer of dead epithelial cells that helps to seal the edges of the nail to prevent infection of the underlying tissues.
The epidermis is, in fact, the outermost tissue layer of the skin and does contribute to nail growth, but it is not the skin that overlaps the nail. The dermis is the layer beneath the epidermis, while the subcutaneous tissue is the deepest layer of skin, neither of which immediately surrounds the nail.
Nail anatomy includes the nail body (the main keratinous plate), the nail root (part of the nail lodged deep in the epidermis), and the nail fold (the fold of epithelium that extends over the sides of the nail body). The nails, similar to the epidermis and hair, are made up of keratin, a strong protective protein. The correct option is 1) Cuticle